But officers put this 'significant rise' down to the launch of a national complaints body.

From April to December last year, 462 people made a total of 727 complaints about constabulary staff.

During the same period in 2003, 228 people made a total of 358 complaints - rises of 102.6% and 103% respectively.

Cheshire Police Authority studied a breakdown of the complaints at its statutory purposes committee.

From April-December last year, the public made 712 complaints about officers, 40 about police staff and four about special constables. Some of the complaints made relate to both officers and civilian workers together.

Four of the overall complaints relate to alleged sexual assaults, the authority heard.

Other allegations include: 11 of 'serious non-sexual assault', 97 of other types of assault, 77 of oppressive conduct or harassment, 18 of un-lawful arrest, nine of racial discrimination, 47 of perjury or irregularity of evidence, one of corruption, 47 of mishandling property, 183 of neglect of duty, 30 of irregularity in procedure, 146 of incivility and 12 traffic-related.

Detective Chief Superintendent Helen King, head of professional standards, said: 'This significant rise in complaints reflects changes brought in on April 1 last year with the commencement of the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

'A wider range of parties to incidents are now able to make complaints by a wider range of methods.

'Police staff and special constables can now also be made subject to complaints.

'The rise is being closely monitored and compared with the significant increases being experienced by other forces across the UK.'

She added: 'The most commonly recorded categories of complaint against officers in Cheshire remain assault, incivility, neglect of duty and oppressive conduct.

'Divisional commanders and heads of department receive monthly complaint statistics and tactical assessments to assist them to develop strategies that will lead to an overall reduction in complaints.'

Claims of neglect of duty and incivility have increased in this division.